From 1953 to 1977 Odeon Sale was a part of our dads life. Dad started as a projectionist at the Odeon Sale in 1953, in 1958 dad had moved to become a cinema engineer for BT-H (British Thompson-Huston) cinema division and serviced the 2 BT-H projectors at the Odeon Sale until the Odeon Whalley Range closed and the 2 Kalee model 21 projectors replaced the BT-H projectors at Sale. I have photos of our dad showing at film on the newly installed projectors and of him playing the Christie organ. That little Christie organ was my first introduction to cinema organs as some Sunday mornings a small group would meet there just the play the organ. I was taken to one of these meeting. Dad stood me in the main pipe chamber and said "Just stand there." He then played the loudest he could and I have loved cinema organs ever since. In the early 1970's I worked for Odeon in Manchester and it was one of my duties to act as relief projectionist for Harold Mourd who had been the chief projectionist at the Odeon Sale for meany years. Did you know that the Odeon Sale has the biggest stage in Manchester, we had all hoped that when Jack Edge of the Tatton group to ownership of the Odeon he would put on lots of big stage production but this never happened. Before the cinema closed one of our friends sent a photographer to the Odeon and I still have some copy's of those photograph in my home cinema. The 2 Kalee model 21 projectors are still believed to be in store in north London somewhere. One day I will tel you the story of Harold Mourd, our dad, the new trainee projectionist at the Odeon and the meat custard!! I am sure you know that the photo of the cinema from the air is the Regal Altrincham. The Regal was the sister cinema to the Plaza cinema Stockport and burnt down in 1956.
I remember when the Regal at Broadheath burned down. I used to get dragged to catholic mass at St Vincents church Altrincham from Sale and the Sunday morning after the fire my dad, on the way to St Vincents, drove around the block round the burned out remains of the Regal.
Thanks! It's great to see the old place has had a makeover and is looking a lot smarter than in your earlier video on it. I remember it as the Odeon, in particular the Saturday morning children's club we kids attended every week to watch thrillers, cartoons, and join in sing-alongs with words on the screen and a bouncing ball pointing to each word as we sang them. Next door in the parade of shops to the right of the cinema as you face it, was a sweet shop. I remember buying my sweets there instead of from the cinema kiosk in the foyer as they were cheaper, and being scolded by an usherette for not buying them in the cinema! The shop on the extreme left at the Post Office end was Burt's toy shop where I bought my Airfix plastic model aeroplane kits and other stuff. That was a great shop! Interesting that you show the Palace on Ashton Lane with it's original frontage. It later had a more up to date brick frontage and that's how I remember it. I knew it well as it was opposite my grandmother's house, a big old villa on the site where the old folks homes are now. I remember the night in the 1960s when The Palace burned down. It was a nightclub by then. It was never rebuilt and instead an office block was built on the site. Next to the Palace was its cinder car park where every autumn a travelling fair would set up. Sale was a very different place back in the 50s and 60s.
Great stuff. I need to do a video on plastic models sometime. I spent a lot of time at that. Most of the kits I made were Revell American planes. That's what was available at my Woolworths. I'm making a wooden whirligig Lancaster for the Dam Buster video.
I remember seeing 'Goldfinger' at the Odeon upon its release in 1964. In the 1970's it hosted thousands of school children for the filming of the weekly BBC quiz programme 'Screen Test'. From 1974 to 1979 I worked in Fairbairn House on Ashton Lane, and to get my lunch I walked through the rear car park of the cinema which, on one day each week had a number of what then called pantechnicons (these days articulated lorries) belonging to the BBC with thick cables laid out on the ground connecting the building to the vehicles. Apparently the filming took place here because the building had the biggest auditorium in the country. I suppose it helped have a stage for the quizmaster and the panels of teams taking part.
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. Great info Paul, Thank you. Furniture shop next door has been there forever too i think. Also, The ex-cinema in Northenden is worth a look at. Its now a long running Jehovas Whitness hall, And apparantly beautifuly restored thtoughout. Looking forward to next video, Thankyou.
They have opened up a old cinema in Leeds and maybe they could do something with the former cinema in Stretford with its outstanding art deco front its just lying empty
Another great video Paul. Thanks for posting.
Glad you enjoyed it
From 1953 to 1977 Odeon Sale was a part of our dads life. Dad started as a projectionist at the Odeon Sale in 1953, in 1958 dad had moved to become a cinema engineer for BT-H (British Thompson-Huston) cinema division and serviced the 2 BT-H projectors at the Odeon Sale until the Odeon Whalley Range closed and the 2 Kalee model 21 projectors replaced the BT-H projectors at Sale. I have photos of our dad showing at film on the newly installed projectors and of him playing the Christie organ. That little Christie organ was my first introduction to cinema organs as some Sunday mornings a small group would meet there just the play the organ. I was taken to one of these meeting. Dad stood me in the main pipe chamber and said "Just stand there." He then played the loudest he could and I have loved cinema organs ever since. In the early 1970's I worked for Odeon in Manchester and it was one of my duties to act as relief projectionist for Harold Mourd who had been the chief projectionist at the Odeon Sale for meany years. Did you know that the Odeon Sale has the biggest stage in Manchester, we had all hoped that when Jack Edge of the Tatton group to ownership of the Odeon he would put on lots of big stage production but this never happened. Before the cinema closed one of our friends sent a photographer to the Odeon and I still have some copy's of those photograph in my home cinema. The 2 Kalee model 21 projectors are still believed to be in store in north London somewhere. One day I will tel you the story of Harold Mourd, our dad, the new trainee projectionist at the Odeon and the meat custard!! I am sure you know that the photo of the cinema from the air is the Regal Altrincham. The Regal was the sister cinema to the Plaza cinema Stockport and burnt down in 1956.
This is such great information to add to this story. Thanks
I remember when the Regal at Broadheath burned down. I used to get dragged to catholic mass at St Vincents church Altrincham from Sale and the Sunday morning after the fire my dad, on the way to St Vincents, drove around the block round the burned out remains of the Regal.
Thanks! It's great to see the old place has had a makeover and is looking a lot smarter than in your earlier video on it. I remember it as the Odeon, in particular the Saturday morning children's club we kids attended every week to watch thrillers, cartoons, and join in sing-alongs with words on the screen and a bouncing ball pointing to each word as we sang them.
Next door in the parade of shops to the right of the cinema as you face it, was a sweet shop. I remember buying my sweets there instead of from the cinema kiosk in the foyer as they were cheaper, and being scolded by an usherette for not buying them in the cinema!
The shop on the extreme left at the Post Office end was Burt's toy shop where I bought my Airfix plastic model aeroplane kits and other stuff. That was a great shop!
Interesting that you show the Palace on Ashton Lane with it's original frontage. It later had a more up to date brick frontage and that's how I remember it. I knew it well as it was opposite my grandmother's house, a big old villa on the site where the old folks homes are now. I remember the night in the 1960s when The Palace burned down. It was a nightclub by then. It was never rebuilt and instead an office block was built on the site. Next to the Palace was its cinder car park where every autumn a travelling fair would set up.
Sale was a very different place back in the 50s and 60s.
Great stuff. I need to do a video on plastic models sometime. I spent a lot of time at that. Most of the kits I made were Revell American planes. That's what was available at my Woolworths. I'm making a wooden whirligig Lancaster for the Dam Buster video.
I remember seeing 'Goldfinger' at the Odeon upon its release in 1964. In the 1970's it hosted thousands of school children for the filming of the weekly BBC quiz programme 'Screen Test'. From 1974 to 1979 I worked in Fairbairn House on Ashton Lane, and to get my lunch I walked through the rear car park of the cinema which, on one day each week had a number of what then called pantechnicons (these days articulated lorries) belonging to the BBC with thick cables laid out on the ground connecting the building to the vehicles. Apparently the filming took place here because the building had the biggest auditorium in the country. I suppose it helped have a stage for the quizmaster and the panels of teams taking part.
Remember it back in the 60's when it was the Odeon an a dancehall, saw Lulu an the lovers of I remember rightly.
Didn't she marry one of the Bee Gees?
Great video, thanks for the time and effort.
My pleasure!
This old cinema is very close to town centre. I always see it near washway road. Thanks for making this video.
Thank you too
Unfortunately the nearby Locarno (Mecca bingo) which closed in February, isn't going to be saved by the wrecking ball.
Sad
It took them long enough to renovate it, it's been a mess for years!
it was
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.
Great info Paul,
Thank you.
Furniture shop next door has been there forever too i think.
Also,
The ex-cinema in Northenden is worth a look at.
Its now a long running Jehovas Whitness hall,
And apparantly beautifuly restored thtoughout.
Looking forward to next video,
Thankyou.
Thanks for the info!
They have opened up a old cinema in Leeds and maybe they could do something with the former cinema in Stretford with its outstanding art deco front its just lying empty
Every time I see it, it reminds me of the Cylons from the original Battlestar Galactica.